Tadlock Returns To Texas Tech Baseball

LUBBOCK, Texas – Regarded as one of the top recruiters in the country, former Red Raider student-athlete and Oklahoma assistant coach Tim Tadlock will return to Lubbock as associate head baseball coach, Texas Tech fourth-year head coach Dan Spencer announced today.

Tadlock, 42, spent the previous six years producing several of the nation’s top recruiting classes at Oklahoma while helping lead the Sooners back to the College World Series in 2010.

“It’s my pleasure to welcome Tim Tadlock back to Lubbock and into the Red Raider baseball program,” Spencer said. “Tim is considered one of the elite college coaches and recruiters in the nation. He will be an asset to our program and we are excited for him to join us.”

It didn’t take Tadlock long to make his mark on the recruiting trail at Oklahoma, as his 2006 recruiting class ranked fourth nationally by Collegiate Baseball Magazine. The No. 4 ranking was the best for the Sooners since 1987.

During his tenure at Oklahoma (2006-2011), the Sooners made five trips to the NCAA Tournament with two Super Regional appearances in 2006 and 2010 while making it back to the College World Series in Omaha in 2010. It marked OU’s first time to make five post-season appearances in a six year span since 1987-1992. The Sooners had unparalleled success at the plate under Tadlock’s guidance. Oklahoma batted over .300 during all six of his seasons – first time for OU since 1995-2000 – and his 2009 and 2010 clubs combined for 195 home runs, the most ever at Oklahoma in consecutive seasons while leading the Big 12 in home runs both years. The Sooners 104 home runs in 2010 rank second all-time in Oklahoma history.

While an assistant at Oklahoma, Tadlock mentored 41 players who were selected in the Major League Baseball First Year Players Draft. In 2011 the Sooners had 11 players taken in the draft which tied an all-time Big 12 record (Texas, 2007). In fact, during three of Tadlock’s six years with the Sooners at least nine players were taken in the draft.

Tadlock, like Spencer, played for legendary coach Larry Hays (1990-91) at Texas Tech before starting his career in college coaching as an assistant at Hill College in 1992.

After spending four seasons at Hill College, Tadlock became the head coach at Grayson County Junior College, where he led the Vikings to back-to-back National Junior College Athletic Association World Series titles in 1999 and 2000. During his nine seasons at Grayson, Tadlock posted a 435-127 (.774) overall record while being named National Coach of the Year following both title runs (1999-2000).

In addition, Tadlock recorded the highest winning percentage of any collegiate baseball coach, including all two and four-year institutions, with a .774 winning percentage while at Grayson County.

The Red Raiders benefited from six players that transferred to Tech from Tadlock’s program at Grayson while he was head coach. Included in those student-athletes are Texas Tech All-American shortstop Cameron Blair (2004-05) and former Major League catcher Trey Lunsford (1999-00).

Tadlock also served as the director of athletics at Grayson from 2000-2005.

After a prep career at Denton High School and two years at Hill College, Tadlock was a two-year starting shortstop for the Red Raiders while helping Texas Tech to its first-ever 40-win season as a senior in 1991 (42-18).

In his two-year career at Tech, Tadlock played in 120 games, batted .289 (120-for-415) with 96 runs scored, 19 doubles, four triples, eight home runs, 68 RBI, 71 walks, 65 strikeouts and was 28-of-41 in stolen bases.

Tadlock graduated with his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Texas Tech in May 1992. He also earned a master’s degree in education in August 1994 from the University of Texas at Tyler.